WEST DES MOINES, IOWA ? When it comes to playing golf, Jim Thorpe thinks Hale Irwin has few equals. When dealing with fans, Thorpe believes Irwin has a lot of work to do.

Speaking at the media day for the Allianz Championship, Thorpe took a number of his Senior PGA Tour counterparts to task and teed off on Irwin.

“Hale’s a great player who has won more money than anyone who has played the game, but he’s one of those guys who is just not fan-friendly,” Thorpe said. “We have a bunch of jerks out there. It’s a shame, too.”

Thorpe has built a reputation as a fan-pleaser, posing endlessly for pictures and signing autographs.

He believes more players should do the same.

“We talk about these things at player meetings,” Thorpe said. “We want to make it more fan-friendly and most of the guys are pretty solid.”

Irwin, who has won 35 senior events and earned more than $21 million in his career, falls into the other category, according to Thorpe.

The players have a weekly ritual when dealing with Irwin, who leads the senior money list this year with $1,555,706.

“We put cheese in his locker to go with his whining,” Thorpe said.